The commercialization of a product or service—meaning its market launch and promotion to customers—is a crucial yet often underestimated step by entrepreneurs. It sometimes ranks low among SME budget priorities, even though an effective commercialization strategy can significantly enhance a company's competitiveness and its ability to stand out from the competition. Fortunately, in Quebec as well as Canada, there are numerous financial supports available to assist for-profit businesses in their commercialization efforts. This comprehensive guide outlines key provincial (Quebec) and federal (Canada) grants available, along with related supports such as tax credits, loans, and advisory programs.
For each program, we describe objectives, eligibility criteria, available funding amounts, and application procedures. The content is structured by major themes to facilitate reading and optimize SEO referencing. Whether you’re seeking financing for a marketing plan, launching a new product, expanding internationally, or adopting digital tools, this guide provides exhaustive and clear information to identify available commercialization support in Quebec.
Tip: Feel free to combine multiple measures (grants, tax credits, etc.) if your project allows—while respecting cumulative limits—to maximize financial support. Quebec entrepreneurs have access to a wide array of programs; discover them below.
Provincial Grants (Quebec) for Commercialization
The Quebec government offers numerous grant and contribution programs designed to assist companies in their commercialization, growth, and export projects. These provincial grants are generally non-refundable (unless otherwise indicated) and target various needs: marketing innovations, market development (including international), digital transformation, and more. Below, you'll find the primary Quebec grants related to commercialization.
Innovation Program – Commercialization of Innovations Component
The Innovation Program of the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Energy (MEIE) is a framework program supporting innovation projects from R&D to commercialization. It has two main components: component 1 for technological innovation projects (up to pre-commercialization) and component 2 for the commercialization of innovations. Component 2, managed by Investissement Québec, financially supports businesses preparing to launch an innovative product or process developed in Quebec.
Eligibility: Eligible businesses include for-profit companies established in Quebec that have developed an innovative product or process ready for commercialization. Your project must focus on marketing innovation (rather than pure development). Eligible activities could include commercial demonstrations, marketing of an innovative product, market adaptation, etc. The program primarily targets innovative SMEs, but large companies can also benefit from the commercialization component for major projects. Typically, you must submit a strong business or commercialization plan demonstrating the project's economic potential.
Funding Offered: Financial support from the Innovation Program’s commercialization component is a non-refundable contribution. The amount can reach up to $2,000,000 per project. The funding rate typically covers up to 50% of eligible commercialization expenses (e.g., marketing costs, dedicated personnel salaries, market studies, product adaptation). For collaborative or strategic projects, total public funding may be capped (typically around 75% of eligible costs), requiring the company to fund part of the project through equity.
Application Process: Managed by Investissement Québec (IQ), applications for component 2 are submitted through IQ’s portal. It’s advisable to first contact an Investissement Québec advisor to confirm project eligibility and obtain the application form. A typical application includes an innovation commercialization plan, financial forecasts, and detailed project information (schedule, expenses, etc.). Applications can be submitted continuously (no fixed deadline as long as the program is active). Allow several weeks for IQ’s analysis and response. Thoroughly document your product’s innovative nature and market prospects, as these are critical criteria.
Concrete Example: A tech startup developing an innovative medical device prototype aiming to finance marketing activities, regulatory certification, and commercial deployment might apply to the Innovation Program's component 2. If approved, it could receive, for example, 50% of commercialization expenses covered by a $300,000 grant on a $600,000 budget, helping launch its product.
Support Program for Commercialization and Export (PSCE)
The PSCE is a new Quebec government initiative designed to stimulate business growth in markets outside Quebec and the export of products and services. With a $200M budget over five years, the PSCE has three components tailored to business size and target market. Specifically, it aims to support: 1) SMEs in the local Quebec market, 2) SMEs seeking exports beyond Quebec, and 3) large enterprises pursuing international projects. The program is administered by Investissement Québec International.
Eligibility: The PSCE targets for-profit businesses (as well as cooperatives and commercial social economy enterprises) headquartered in Quebec. Your business must operate in an eligible sector (some sectors like primary agriculture, finance, or healthcare have specific other programs). Size criteria depend on the component—for instance, component 1 targets companies with revenues under $100M, component 2 targets SMEs with revenues between $1M and $100M (export-oriented), and component 3 targets companies with revenues over $100M for international projects. The program requires commercialization-focused activities (pre-launch preparation or market introduction), excluding pure product development. Eligible projects include hiring market development specialists, marketing strategy creation, market studies, trade show participation, product adaptation for exports, international certifications, or establishing foreign offices.
Funding Offered: The PSCE provides non-refundable grants covering up to 50% of eligible project expenses. Maximum amounts vary by component: Component 1 (SMEs local market) offers up to $250,000 annually, component 2 (SMEs exporting) up to $100,000 per project, and component 3 (large international enterprises) also up to $100,000 initially. These contributions cover marketing personnel salaries, travel and representation costs, promotional expenses, and market strategy consultant fees.
Application Process: The process involves two stages: initial pre-qualification via an online questionnaire, followed by detailed application submission if eligible. Investissement Québec typically reviews and decides within 5-6 weeks. Projects are accepted continuously until funds are depleted.
Example: A Quebec manufacturing SME with $5M revenue aiming to expand into Ontario and the US could receive up to $100,000 (covering 50% of commercialization expenses) to fund export-related marketing and trade show participation through PSCE component 2.
Other Sectoral and Regional Grants in Quebec
In addition to the major general programs mentioned above, there are provincial grants specific to certain sectors or regions that can support commercialization efforts.
Alcohol Sector (Agri-Food)
The PAPAQ program (Programme d’appui au positionnement des alcools québécois) is an example of targeted assistance. It aims to support Quebec's alcoholic beverage producers in marketing their products through the SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec) network. Quebec-based producers of wine, beer, and craft spirits selling to the SAQ can receive financial aid for promotional activities, market development, and other commercialization efforts. Managed by MAPAQ (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Quebec) and the SAQ, PAPAQ can take the form of a sales-based grant or funding for participation in trade fairs, collective advertising campaigns, and more.
Cultural Sector
Cultural businesses (film, television, music, publishing, digital arts) have access to funding programs managed by SODEC (Société de développement des entreprises culturelles). SODEC provides various financial aid programs to support production, promotion, and distribution of Quebec's cultural content.
In the film industry, the Promotion and Distribution Assistance Program offers grants to distributors and producers to finance movie marketing (trailers, posters, premieres, participation in international festivals).
In book publishing, SODEC provides grants for marketing Quebec books (author tours, book fairs).
In music, financial aid is available for international market development, music showcases, and more.
Funding criteria and amounts vary by cultural industry, but if you run a for-profit cultural business, it is essential to explore SODEC programs, which can cover 40% to 70% of promotion and distribution expenses depending on the case.
Regional and Municipal Programs
At the local level, cities and regional organizations also offer grants for commercialization.
In Quebec City, the Valo-Capitale – Commercialization of Innovation program provides financial contributions to help businesses implement a commercialization plan based on public research or targeting new markets outside Quebec. This program primarily supports the valorization of university research or expansion outside the province and may offer grants or loans based on project needs and fund availability.
In the Montreal region, PME MTL offers the Fonds Jeunes Entreprises, a grant of up to $15,000 to support the launch or expansion of a business led by young entrepreneurs, provided it is combined with a PME MTL loan.
While these local programs may be smaller in scale, they can be combined with provincial and federal funding. Additionally, SADC (Sociétés d’aide au développement des collectivités) and CAE (Community Futures Development Corporations) in rural regions sometimes offer non-repayable contributions or investment funds for projects that create regional jobs.
Summary
In Quebec, beyond the flagship programs managed by MEIE (Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy) and Investissement Québec, it is important to explore grants tailored to your sector or region. Whether you are an agri-food producer, publisher, innovative manufacturer in a rural area, or a creative startup in Montreal, there is likely a program suited to your commercialization needs.
Federal Grants for Commercialization (Canada)
The Government of Canada also offers a wide range of funding programs to support innovation, growth, and access to global markets for Quebec businesses. These federal grants are generally available nationwide but can be accessed by Quebec companies (sometimes through regional agencies).
CanExport SME Program
CanExport SME is Canada’s flagship program designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) develop new export markets. It is administered by Global Affairs Canada in collaboration with the Trade Commissioner Service and provides substantial financial assistance for international commercialization activities.
Eligibility
Eligible businesses must:
Be for-profit Canadian SMEs incorporated in Canada.
Have 500 employees or fewer and proprietary products or services.
Have annual revenues between $100,000 and $100 million to demonstrate financial capacity.
Target a new foreign market, where current sales represent less than 10% of total sales.
Eligible sectors include manufacturing, technology, services, agri-food processing, and more, though some restrictions apply (e.g., alcohol distribution, defense-related products). A clear export plan with specific market activities is required.
Funding Offered
CanExport SME provides non-repayable contributions covering 50% to 75% of eligible export-related expenses, up to a maximum of $75,000 per project. The program has been enhanced since 2019, increasing the support rate to 75% in many cases.
For example, if you budget $100,000 for commercialization activities in a new market, CanExport could reimburse up to $75,000. Eligible expenses include:
External market research
Trade shows and business travel (flights, hotels, exhibition fees)
Translation and adaptation of marketing materials
Local business development consultants
Industry directory listings
Required certifications for the target market
Region-specific digital marketing efforts
Note: Salaries of internal staff and normal production costs are not covered; funding applies only to additional expenses for market expansion.
Application Process
Applications are submitted online through the CanExport portal.
The form requires details about the business, target markets, planned activities, and budget.
Applications must be submitted at least 60 days before project activities begin.
Companies can submit one project per fiscal year.
Processing takes 4 to 6 weeks, and approved expenses are reimbursed upon submission of receipts.
Example:
A Montreal-based cosmetics company plans to enter Germany and Japan.
It submits two separate CanExport applications, one for Europe and another for Asia.
For Germany, with a $50,000 budget, CanExport could reimburse $37,500.
For Japan, with a $40,000 budget, CanExport could cover $30,000.
This significantly lowers the cost of entering these markets.
NRC IRAP (Industrial Research Assistance Program)
The NRC IRAP (National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program) is a major federal program supporting SME technology innovation and growth. While mainly R&D-focused, it can indirectly support commercialization by funding the technical development needed to bring a product to market.
Eligibility
Eligible companies must:
Be incorporated Canadian SMEs with fewer than 500 employees.
Be developing an innovative technology with strong commercial potential.
Have the technical and financial capacity to execute the project.
IRAP supports various sectors, including advanced manufacturing, ICT, health tech, agri-tech, and environmental innovation.
Funding Offered
IRAP provides non-repayable contributions to cover a portion of:
Salaries of technical staff
R&D subcontracting costs
Prototyping equipment
Funding levels vary, but IRAP typically covers 40% to 60% of eligible project costs. Some SMEs receive $100,000 to $300,000 over one or two years, while high-impact projects can receive over $1 million.
Application Process
Contact IRAP via the NRC website or a regional office.
Work with an IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor to develop a funding proposal.
Submit a detailed R&D plan outlining innovation, work plan, costs, and expected commercial impact.
Once approved, funding is provided through milestone-based reimbursements.
Example:
A Sherbrooke-based company developing an eco-friendly insulation material needs funding to create an industrial-scale process and conduct pilot tests. IRAP could:
Cover 50% of engineer salaries and subcontracting fees.
Provide $200,000 in funding over 18 months.
Offer technical mentorship and industry connections.
By leveraging these sectoral, regional, and federal grants, Quebec businesses can significantly reduce commercialization costs and accelerate market expansion.
